Adoration of the Child

An early work by Cambiaso, it is influenced by Michelangelo’s gigantism and the light of Beccafumi. The composition revisits that of his father’s master: an unprecedented closed structure portrays the figures with broken diagonals and foreshortening, while the free brushstrokes anticipate the 17th century. The incandescent, throbbing northern light emanating from Christ imbues the choice of colours. Formerly belonging to Cardinal Monti, this panel of unknown provenance has been in Brera since 1811.